Phoenix police address multiple officer-involved shootings

PHOENIX — In the last six weeks, Phoenix police have been involved in six separate shootings. At least four of those shootings were deadly. 

“We understand how deeply concerning this is to our community and we share your concern,” a statement from Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano said. 

Giordano said the department remains committed to “continuous improvement.” 

“While every situation is different, and often rapidly evolving, we continue to place a focus on de-escalation strategies and the use of less-lethal options whenever possible,” Giordano said. 

Giordano laid out five actions the department is taking to decrease shootings involving officers, including a training review process and incentivizing more officers to become Crisis Intervention Training certified. 

Here are the actions the department intends to take:

• Launching a department-wide refresher on ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) and Use of Force policies to reinforce our commitment to de-escalation and sound decision-making.
• Implementing a new Advanced Training Review process. Within 30 days of any critical incident, involved personnel will participate in targeted training focused on de-escalation, communication, tactics, officer safety, use of force, and supervisory oversight.
• Continuing the expansion of access to less-lethal tools, which includes the addition of Pepper Ball and 40mm operators and equipping officers with Taser 10 devices.
• Enhancing our Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program to include incentivizing more officers to become CIT certified and providing advanced and ongoing education, ensuring officers are better prepared to respond to individuals in crisis.
• Collaborating with the Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT) to implement their recommendations for improving our administrative investigations and the policies and practices that support them.

Giordano said each incident is reviewed by the Department of Public Safety, as well as internally with the Professional Standards Bureau.

12News has previously reported on six shootings involving Phoenix police in the past six weeks. Here’s what we know:

Around 4 a.m., officers responded to a trespassing call at an IHOP restaurant near 19th and Northern avenues. A man was reportedly seen threatening customers and employees inside the restaurant, police said. An employee then called the police.

As officers arrived on scene, a man wielding a hatchet exited the building, police said.

According to police, the man began walking towards officers when they deployed less-lethal rounds twice to try and subdue the suspect. The man kept walking towards the officers and did not comply. 

Police said that is when an officer reportedly fired his service rifle, striking the man.

The man sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died, police said.

Police identified the man as 47-year-old Rocky Joe Ellis.

A man was shot by police after allegedly pulling a knife out while being arrested near 24th Street and Southern Avenue, police said. 

Police said a patrol unit was investigating a man seen riding a bike in the area when the shooting happened. When the two officers tried to approach the man, he ran away. The officers ran after and caught up to him.

Police said the shooting happened as the officers were trying to arrest the man.

“The man resisted officers and was seen removing a knife from his possession,” police said. “As one of the officers continued struggling to detain the man, the other officer verbally alerted his partner to the knife and removed his duty gun, discharged it, and struck the man.”

More officers arrived at the scene along with emergency medical first responders.

The man was taken to the hospital, where he died. He was later identified as 36-year-old Efrain Hidalgo.

Two Phoenix police officers were hospitalized following a shooting south of the Arizona Capitol building. 

The shooting occurred as officers were serving a search warrant in the area. Police said multiple people were detained. One man was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound. 

Giordano said the injured officers are doing “good” and he’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

The two officers have since been discharged from the hospital and are recovering at home, police said.

32-year-old Ote-Tee Brooks Nalwood died after being shot by Phoenix officers. 

Phoenix police officers responded to the area near 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street around noon for reports of an armed robbery, police told 12News.

Another patrol unit located the suspect vehicle and conducted a “high-risk traffic stop,” giving the suspect commands. It was during the traffic stop that police saw the suspect was pointing a handgun at them, police said. 

The first shooting involving officers took place at that time. 

Officers gave another set of commands, and the suspect allegedly tried to flee in his vehicle, but the vehicle got stuck in the dirt. Another unit of officers got to the scene, also saw a handgun pointed at them, and another shooting involving Phoenix police occurred, police told 12News. 

35-year-old Wilson Melgar-Melgar was allegedly holding a toddler hostage with a machete before being shot by officers, officials said. 

Authorities reported an officer was involved in a shooting with Melgar near 31st Avenue and Bethany Home Road. 

Phoenix Police said officers responded to a domestic violence call. When they got to the apartment, authorities said they found Melgar armed with a machete and holding a child at his side. 

According to police, officers attempted to negotiate with Melgar. As police worked the situation, they also used a less-lethal tool to try and disarm him. Police said the suspect was shot when the less-lethal rounds failed to subdue the man.

“The officers were able to move up, disarm the man, and they were able to remove the child from his grasp and take the child to safety,” a Phoenix Police official said.

The toddler and the suspect were both taken to the hospital, officials said. The child suffered minor injuries but was later discharged. Police said the suspect was treated for life-threatening injuries but has since been released from the hospital and booked into jail and is facing multiple felony charges.

Police officers responded to an apartment for reports of a man pointing a gun at himself and, at one point, firing a gun inside his apartment.

When officers arrived, they evacuated nearby apartments and then surrounded the man’s apartment, police said.

Officers began to negotiate with the man and contacted the special assignments unit. SAU investigators got to the scene and took over negotiations, which lasted for several hours, police said. 

Police said the man left his apartment around 3:47 p.m., allegedly with a gun in his hand. Police gave commands to drop the gun, but he did not, police said.

That is when officers shot him.

Police provided first aid, and then the man was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The man has been identified as 52-year-old David Steinbach.

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